Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to inter radio access technology (IRAT) handovers.
Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, broadcasts, and so on. Such networks, which are usually multiple access networks, support communications for multiple users by sharing the available network resources. One example of such a network is the UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). The UTRAN is the radio access network (RAN) defined as a part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), a third generation (3G) mobile phone technology supported by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The UMTS, which is the successor to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technologies, currently supports various air interface standards, such as Wideband-Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), Time Division-Code Division Multiple Access (TD-CDMA), and Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA). The UMTS also supports enhanced 3G data communications protocols, such as High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), which provides higher data transfer speeds and capacity to associated UMTS networks.
For example, in TD-SCDMA systems, Dedicated Channel (DCH) measurement occasion (DMO) or Idle Interval gaps may be configured by a network to support LTE or GSM measurements by a user equipment (UE) during TD-SCDMA to LTE or TD-SCDMA to GSM handovers when the UE is in connected mode. However, 3GPP Specifications do not specify whether a user equipment (UE) can transmit data on an uplink to a network entity during the DMO or Idle Interval gaps which may result in lower throughput at the UE.
Therefore, there is a desire for a method and an apparatus for network cognizant uplink transmissions during inter radio access technology (IRAT) handovers for improved throughput at UEs.